The rain had stopped, but the air in Konoha still carried the weight of what had happened.
The news of the Third Hokage's death didn't arrive with a funeral flame. It came with silence. Orochimaru's return, the sudden barrier, the reanimation of the dead, and Hiruzen's final stand… all passed in minutes.
But what followed changed the village forever.
Weeks later, even the strongest Jonin hadn't spoken his name in public.
Danzo's short return was equally quiet. Brought back using forbidden life-sealing jutsu by his loyalists, he'd expected to rebuild Root. But Minato stood before him — calmly, without emotion — and told him the cycle ended here. Hours later, Danzo's body was found in the inner Root chamber. No battle. No struggle. Just... done.
The clans were already shaken. Not just by the death of their leader. But by what followed.
Seven key clans — the Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitokado, and others tied to the council — were erased within hours after the Hokage's fall.
Every estate burned internally, chakra-sealed records lost. Parents, cousins, line-holders, disappeared. The council seat stood empty.
In the days after, cloak-covered men from Mali's forces crossed the Fire Nation capital line. They didn't attack with noise — they moved with intention. Nobility villages were emptied. Storage halls ransacked. Markets, vaults, and treasuries were all cleared out.
No civilians were touched.
Seven noble guards, including Asuma Sarutobi, were killed defending the Daimyō's main fund gate.
Not one of them lived past two minutes of contact.
The captives returned after seven days.
Outside the Fire Nation border, Mali received the final scroll. It confirmed which secrets were received. Which bloodlines would now grow beyond the borders of one village.
Kakashi and Gai were chosen to carry out the exchange. Sealed scrolls from nearly every major clan were delivered:
"The Akimichi technique of body-mass conversion," said one Uchiha receiver, reading aloud as Gai handed it over.
"The Yamanaka's long-range channel method… confirmed," Kakashi said, unfolding another.
"Kurama's illusion painting series… accepted," the Uchiha nodded. "You've honored the deal."
With no sound, the children walked from the trees. Returned. Tired. But alive.
Every clan exhaled. Their heirs were home. No blood. No shame on paper.
But truth was different.
Ten days later, another scroll arrived. The Uchiha had copied each technique..
The Aburame's insect-memory pattern was etched clean. The Nara's shadow restraint stored. The Yamanaka's minds — mapped.
All except one clan.
The Hyūga elders suddenly come from.shafow, they were following Kakashi and guy, when Kakashi said hyuga refused to pay. According to them, "Branch members were kidnapped. They are not heirs. They wear the seal."
"It is the duty of the branch to serve," said Hyiga elder said coldly. "They fulfilled it."
Gai stepped forward — but Kakashi stood in his way.
"Not here," he said. "Not yet."
Uchiha mali and Raikage quickly. Hyuga took action was taken at first.
But soon after, a Black Lightning team intercepted a Hyūga elder and hit them at back and stealing their eye's
— before hyuga could achieve their goal: activate the Caged Bird Seal on all of the of them.
Raikage's response came before dawn.
Six Main House members killed without warning.
Each one died before finishing a single hand seal.
Their eyes were left untouched.
" hyuga eyes belongs to us ," Raikage happily said from his forward camp.
Minato stood beside him, reading in silence.
"You regret it?" Mali asked him.
"No," Minato replied. "I regret waiting as long as I did."